Carton or article carrier



Oct. 25, 1938. w. E.y TURNER l 2,134,627

CARTON OR ARTICLE CARRER Filed NOV. 24, 1937 2 Shee'os-Slleel'l 1 Oct. 25, 1938. w. E. TURNER CARTON OR ARTICLE CARRIER Filed NOV. 24, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 25, 1938 PATENT OFFICE l CARTON OB ARTICLE CARRIER William Eugene Turner, Chattanooga, Tenn., as-

signor to 0. B. Andrews Company, (Ihattanooga, Tenn., a corporation of Tennessee Application November 24. 1937. serial No. 116,332

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in collapsible or foldable receptacles for the packaging and carrying of fragile and/or perishable goods. More particularly, the invention relates to a 5 handle-equipped receptacle which is foldable from a single, cut and scored blank of relatively stlif` paper stock, such as straw or cardboard,

foldable into intersecting relation to provide side,

top and bottom walls, and a central partition wall having a handle extension which cooperates with certain of the other wall portions of the blank in supporting the wall portions in desired relationship from said handle portion.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a blank the foldable portions of which are so arranged as to provide separate compartments, which compartments are connected at their ends tohold said compartments in adjacent relationship.

A iurtherobject of the invention is to provide a blank having foldable wall portions which require printing or o rnamenting on one side of the blank in providing attractive outer wail surface portions suspended from a handle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a blank which may be economically die cut and scored to provide various wall .portions of such-relation that separate receptacle portions receptacle when folded to produce a satchellike receptacle, with the separate receptacle sections supported from a single handle portion oi the blank, which portion is common to the two receptacle portions.

A further object of my invention is to provide a blank and carton formed'therefrom, which will automatically adjust itself under the weight and/or size oi contents of the carton so as to snugly embrace the articles which form the contents.

Other objects and advantages relate to the co-` operative relation of the se'veral blank portions 55 which are foldable to provide the separate comdirect supporting connection between the handle or vcompartments will be formed within the single.

partments o1' the receptacle, in which certain common walls of the receptacles provide ahandle and other common walls provide enclosures and securing means for holding the compartment portions in adjacent relationship, all as will be more fully understood by referenceto the following description, taken in conjunction with the appended drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a completed receptacle, showing the end wall construction and the compartment arrangement held thereby on .each side of a central partition having a handle extension.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the blank from which the completed receptacle shown in Fig. 1 -is folded.` l

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1..'

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a completed receptacle similar to that shown in Fig. 1 and showing the handle grip members located in the center of the blank instead of at the free ends.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the blank from which the receptacle shown in Fig. 4 is folded, and

Fig. 6 is a transverse section through the` upper portion of the receptacle.

As will be apparent from the drawings, the invention has been illustrated in two forms, having certain characteristic features in common. In both forms a single blank is folded to provide a pair of compartments each of which has a bottom wall and side walls. two of these side walls are immediately adjacent and located centrally `of the receptacle, and have integrally formed therewith supporting handle portions. From this construction results that the load in the receptacles is supported centrally thereof 4by the central inner side walls of the two compartments in the upper ends of which the hand openings are located.

One form which the invention may take is illustrated in Figures l, 2 and 3 of the drawings. The blank from which the construction .shown in Fig. 1 is folded, is shown in plan in Fig. 2. The blank of Fig. 2 is of generally rectangular form, having substantially greater length than width. The body portion I of the blank is provided with a central transverse slit 2 for receptionof the free end h andle portions 3 and It will be noted that the Width of the handle portions 3 and 4 is the same as the length of the slit 2 and less than the Width of the body of the blank. This construction results in the provision of shoulders 5 at the four corners of the blank, the function of which will be apparent when the blank is folded,

, the vreceptacle is folded.

as shown in Fig. 1. The blank has on each side a pair of tabs or flaps which form closures for the open ends of the compartments of the receptacle when folded for use; Flaps 3 and 1 are equally spaced from the center of the blank and are cut as at Il so that they may be interlocked when Opposite the flaps 3 and 'Iareapslandlwhicharealsocutasat Il for interlocking engagement to form a closure for the other open end of the compartments of the receptacle. The handle portions 3 and 4 are provided with cut-out hand openingsv I I, I2.` In cutting one of these openings the punched material is not cut along its outer side and so is not completely detached and serves as a locking flap or tab to hold the handles together when the receptacle is folded into nnal form. This locking flap is shown at I3.

Certain portions of the blank, asat I4, Il, I 3 and I1, are scored on one side so that it may be the more readily bent in setting up the receptacle. Ventilating openings I8 may be provided in the outer side walls of the receptacle.

In forming the receptacle, the free ends of the blank arev bent inwardly and the handle portions 3 and 4 passed through the slit 2 until the shoulders 5 abut against the central portion of the blank. In this position the hand openingsi I and I 2 are opposite each other and the flap I3 may be pushed through opening I2 and bent upwardly to lock the handle portions 3 and 4 .together and provide a three-ply handle. The end flaps 6 and I are then bent at right-angles to the side walls and interlocked to form closures for one end of the two compartments and to prevent spreading of the side walls when the receptacle is loaded. The flaps Il and-9 are bent and interlocked the same as 6 and 1. The receptacle is thus in condition to be used. For certain uses, the articles to be carried may be inserted in the compartments before the end flaps are locked. It will be clear that the load will be directly supported by the two adjacent inner walls of the compartments to which the handles 3 and 4 are attached and horizontal components of the load will be transferred to the'rvertical inner walls by the central pornon of the blank.

'I'he invention is further illustrated in a somewhat diiferent form in Figures 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings.

Referring to Fig. 5, the blank 2|, is symmetrically formed about a center fold line 22. Two hand openings 23 and 24 are cut from the blank on opposite sides of and equally spaced from the center line 22. The free ends of the blank are slit longitudinally as indicated at 25. 26, 21 and 2B. End flaps 29, 30, and 3I, 32, are located in opposed pairs, equally distant from the center of the blank but nearer the ends than the center. The blank is scored on one side over certain portions as indicated, at 33, 34 and 35, 36.

In forming the receptacle from the blank of Fig. 5, the blank is folded about the center line 22 with the scored surfaces outside, the free ends of the blank are then bent upwardly and the center flaps 3l and 38 passed through openings 23 and 24 and bent downwardly between the adjacent walls immediately below the openings 23 and 24. The tabs 39, 40, 4I and 42 at the ends of the blank extend downwardly against the side walls adjacent the center fold line of the blank.

'The receptacle may also be folded by rst bend-v blank along the center line 22. The end flaps 29 and 30 are next bent and interlocked as are also aps 3l and 32. rI'he locking of the ends may be done before or after the receptacle is loaded as may be found convenient. In either event the oppositely bent or folded portions of the carton or receptacle automatically adjust themselves to snugly embrace the contents. This is brought about through the sliding and adjustable connection between the handle portion of the blank and the reversely bent compartment-forming portions, as will be readily understood.

It will be understood that the drawings show a preferred and a modified form of blank for carrying out the enumerated objects, and that certain changes in construction and design may be adopted within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:-.

1. A folding carrier carton made of one piece of sheet material comprising', a pair of adjacent center walls, a pair of bottom walls, a pair of outer walls, forming two adjacent carrier compartments, and integral means' interlocking the outer and center walls at the top, means integral with the outer walls and extending across the ends of the compartments to form closures therefor, and hand-hold means formed in the top portions of the center walls for carrying the carton.

2. A folding carrierv carton 4made of one piece of sheet material and comprising in unfolded condition an elongated body member having at each end an integral handle member, said body memberhaving at its center a transverse slit and on each side a pair of end closure members equally spaced from the center.

3. A folding carrier carton made of one piece of relatively stiff sheet material, 'comprising an elongated body member, said body member having a central transverse slit and handle members at its free ends and a pair of end closure members on each side equally spaced from the center of the body member, the ends of the body member being folded inwardly and upwardly with the handle members extending through the slit to provide a carrying handle above the center of the body member and to form two adjacent article-carrying compartments below the center of the body member, said end closure members being folded across the open ends of the compartments and interlocked in pairs.

4. A folding carrier carton made of one piece of relatively stii sheet material, comprising an elongated body member having a pair of transverse hand-hold openings adjacent each other and equally spaced from the center of the body member, the free ends of the body member having a pair of longitudinal slits'forming a central and two outside flaps at each end, said body member being folded along its center to form two adjacent central supporting walls, the free ends of the body member being folded outwardly and upwardly and having the center flap of each end passed through a hand-hold opening and folded downwardly between the two central supporting walls to form two adjacent article-carrying compartments separated by the central supporting walls.

5. A folding carrier carton made of a single sheet of relatively stiff material, comprising an elongated body member having a pair of transverse hand-hold openings adjacent each other and equally spaced from the center of the body member, said body member having on each side a pair of integral flaps equally spaced from the center of the body member, the free ends of the body member having a pair of longitudinal slits forming a central and .two outside aps at each end, said body member being .folded along its transverse center line to form two adjacent central supporting walls, the free ends of the body member being folded outwardly and upwardly and having the 'center end ap of each end passed 

